Communication ResearchNCT05979090
Mastery Learning in Communication Skills
A study testing Mastery learning in communication skills in people with Communication Research and Communication, Personal, run by Heather Ballard at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The goal of this study is to determine whether mastery learning in communication skills can improve skills in a simulated environment and have translational improvements in outcomes. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Does mastery learning improve skills in the simulation laboratory? 2. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 20 to 60 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Communication Research, Communication, Personal, Burnout, Professional
- What is being tested?
- Mastery learning in communication skills
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 80 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 18 Jan 2023to 1 Jan 2030
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 20 to 60 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Anesthesiology residents rotating at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
Who cannot join
- Participant refusal
- Study participants who have already undergone the mastery learning in difficult conversations course.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Northwestern University Simulation Center
Chicago, Illinois, 60611
Jeff Barsuk, MD, 312-503-7700, jbarsuk@nm.org
Daniel Cronin, BS, 312-503-7700, dcronin@northwestern.edu
About this study
Official title: Mastery Learning in Communication Skills to Improve Milestone Performance and Burnout
The goal of this study is to determine whether mastery learning in communication skills can improve skills in a simulated environment and have translational improvements in outcomes. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Does mastery learning improve skills in the simulation laboratory? 2. Does mastery learning improve clinical skills as seen by milestone performance? and 3 Does mastery learning improve burnout levels? The study is a multi-institutional randomized controlled trial of anesthesiology residents from five different residency programs. Participants will be randomized to mastery training in communication skills and standard of care, which is vicarious learning. Researchers will compare these two groups to see if mastery learning improves skills and translational outcomes.
- Being tested
- Mastery learning in communication skills
- Medical subject headings
- Communication, Burnout, Professional
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Mastery learning in communication skillsBehavioural
Participants will undergo simulation-based mastery learning curriculum in difficult conversations.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Mastery Learning Group | Experimental | Not described Receives: Behavioral: Mastery learning in communication skills |
| Standard of Care Group | No intervention | Not described |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Communication skills
Post test checklist skills scores, a 16-item checklist was developed using the modified Delphi technique with possible scores of 0 (lowest) to 16 (highest). All items in the checklist are graded dichotomously and (1 if done correctly and 0 if not done or done incorrectly.
Measured: one year
Secondary outcomes (2)
Milestones Performance
The ACGME interpersonal and communication core competency is subdivided into three Anesthesiology Milestones: Patient and Family-centered communication, Interprofessional and Team Communication, and Communication within Health Care Systems. Each milestone is graded on a score of 1 (novice) to 5 (expert) by each residency program's Clinical Competency Committee (CCC).
Measured: two years
Burnout levels
The Maslach Burnout Inventory Scale (MBI-9) will be used to estimate the levels of burnout prior to participation in the intervention, immediately after course completion, and at 2 and 6 months after training. The MBI is a measure of job burnout defined by three subscales: emotional exhaustion (EE) (9 items), depersonalization (DP) (5 items), and professional accomplishment (PA) (8 items), each with 7-point Likert-type, frequency response scale (0 = never, 1 = a few times a year or less, 2 = once a month or less, 3 = a few times a month, 4 = once a week, 5 = a few times a week, 6 = every day) [1, 2]. Scales are scored such that higher scores indicate more of each construct. Higher scores on the EE and DP subscales indicate a higher burnout symptom burden; lower scores on the PA subscale indicate a higher burnout symptom burden.
Measured: 1.5 years
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted7 Aug 2023
- Study start18 Jan 2023
- Primary completion1 Jan 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Jan 2030 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Communication ResearchStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Quadruple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 80 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Heather Ballard
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor-investigator, Heather Ballard, Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
- Investigators
- Heather Ballard, MD, Principal investigator, Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05979090
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 20235952
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 19 Jul 2023
- Last updated
- 10 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: de-identified study data will be available upon request when study is completed and published
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 10 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Mastery Learning in Communication Skills to Improve Milestone Performance and Burnout
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05979090
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 20235952
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 80 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Heather BallardUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 18 Jan 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Jan 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Jan 2030 (estimated)
- First posted
- 7 Aug 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this study is to determine whether mastery learning in communication skills can improve skills in a simulated environment and have translational improvements in outcomes. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Does mastery learning improve skills in the simulation laboratory? 2. Does mastery learning improve clinical skills as seen by milestone performance? and 3 Does mastery learning improve burnout levels? The study is a multi-institutional randomized controlled trial of anesthesiology residents from five different residency programs. Participants will be randomized to mastery training in communication skills and standard of care, which is vicarious learning. Researchers will compare these two groups to see if mastery learning improves skills and translational outcomes.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Quadruple blind (participant, care provider, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Mastery Learning Group | Experimental | Behavioral: Mastery learning in communication skills |
| Standard of Care Group | No intervention | – |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 20 to 60 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Anesthesiology residents rotating at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Participant refusal
- Study participants who have already undergone the mastery learning in difficult conversations course.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Mastery learning in communication skillsParticipants will undergo simulation-based mastery learning curriculum in difficult conversations. | Behavioural | Mastery Learning Group |
Primary outcome
Communication skills
Time frame: one year
Post test checklist skills scores, a 16-item checklist was developed using the modified Delphi technique with possible scores of 0 (lowest) to 16 (highest). All items in the checklist are graded dichotomously and (1 if done correctly and 0 if not done or done incorrectly.
2 secondary outcomes
Milestones Performance
Time frame: two years
Burnout levels
Time frame: 1.5 years
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 10 Jul 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. de-identified study data will be available upon request when study is completed and published
Related trials for Communication Research
Recruiting
Evaluating AI for the Translation of KM Resources
Communication Research
Recruiting
Empower EI: Comparing Early Intervention Approaches to Improve Communication in Toddlers With Developmental Delays
Developmental Delays
RecruitingObservational study
FOXP1 Syndrome: The Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment is Characterizing FOXP1-related Neurodevelopmental Disorders Using Genetic, Medical, and Neuropsychological Measures.
FOXP1, Mental Retardation With Language Impairment and With or Without Autistic Features
Active, not recruiting
Let's Know!2: Language-focused Intervention for Children at Risk of Comprehension Difficulties
Language Disorders in Children
Enrolling by invitationObservational study
The Fundamentals of Communication in Surgery
Communication Research, Communication Programs
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Heather Ballard, MD principal investigator
Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Mastery learning in communication skills in people with Communication Research and Communication, Personal, run by Heather Ballard at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 10 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Heather Ballard, MD (3122275170, hballard@luriechildrens.org), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Communication skills (time frame: one year). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 10 Jul 2026.